Furniture construction



Jan. 2, 1968 v E. GNR-:CH ETAL 3,361,423

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1967 E SheetS-Sheet l VENTORS EDMUND VNIECH 6: VITO AsARo ATTORNEYS Jan. 2, 1968 E. GNIECH ETAL 3,351,423

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1967 NVENTORS EDMUND MII-:CH VITO AsARO MPM ATTORNEYS Jan. 2, 1968 E. GNIECH ETAL FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Flc. lO

EDMUND et VITO 331532038 BY ASARO ATTO R N EVS United States Patent @ffice lAZB Patented .iam 2, 1968 3,361,423 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Edmund Gniech, Detroit, and Vito Asaro, East Detroit, Mich., assignors to Young Spring & Wire Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 5, 1967, Ser. No. 636,368 15 Claims. (Cl. 267-107) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The furniture construction shown herein comprises a frame having front and rear members and one or more spring assemblies extending between the front and rear members. Each spring assembly comprises a front rail that engages the front frame member and a rear rail that engages the rear frame member. A plurality of coil springs extend between the rear member and rear rail of the frame. A plurality of sinuous spring elements having a seating portion and a iishmouth configuration at their ends extend between the front and rear members of each spring assembly. The free ends of each sinuous spring element are connected to the front and rear rails of the spring assembly. A wire cross tie also extends between the front and rear members of the spring assembly below the seating portion of each sinuous spring. A border wire of flattened cross section interconnects the adjacent sinuous springs at the seating portions thereof. When more than one spring assembly is used, additional border wires are provide a continuous front edge. To complete the furniture, the padding and the like are applied.

This invention relates to furniture construction and particularly to the spring construction for furniture.

Background of the invention In the manufacture of furniture, it is conventional to utilize a wooden frame and provide a plurality of springs across the frame. Coil springs have been used as well as sinuous springs. It has also been suggested that independent spring assemblies be utilized which comprise a plurality of coil springs. Different size spring assemblies can thereby be used to accommodate frames of different dimensions. Such a construction is shown in the patent to C. S. Reed 2,642,125, issued .Tune 16, 1953 Summary Among the objects of the invention are to provide a furniture construction embodying a novel spring assembly which is easy to assemble, has a minimum number of different parts, is low in cost and is easily adapted to frames of different sizes.

Basically, the novel spring assembly embodying the invention comprises front and rear rails of identical cross section and construction between which a plurality of sinuous spring elements extend as well as interconnecting tie members beneath the sinuous springs. The sinuous springs and interconnecting tie members are connected to the front and rear rails by a novel construction. Brackets of different dimensions are provided along the rear frame member of the furniture frame and coil springs extend between the brackets and the rear rails of the spring assemblies.

Descriplion ofthe drawings FIG. l is a plan view of a spring assembly embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a piece of furniture embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a piece of furniture embodying the invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rail utilized in the invention.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a piece of furniture embodying the invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bracket utilized iu the invention.

FIG. 9 is a partly diagrammatical plan View of a modified piece of furniture embodying the invention.

FIG. 10 is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view of the same.

FIG. l1 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of a portion of the piece of furniture shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. l2 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Description of the prefenred embodiments Referring to FlGS. 9, 10 and 12, the invention generally relates to furniture and to the seat portion of furniture. In accordance with conventional practice, the furniture comprises a frame 1t) including front and rear frame members 11, 12 between which one or more spring assemblies 13 extend depending upon the length of the frame. lt can be understood and will be readily apparent as hereinafter described that the spring assemblies 13 can be of different width in a direction longitudinally of the frame 11i. When the piece of furniture comprises, for example, a chair, then the frame 14 (FIG. 12) may include one spring assembly 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, each spring assembly 13 comprises front and rear rails 16, 17 between which sinuous spring elements 13 and cross wires 19 extend to provide a unitary spring assembly. Each sinuous spring element 18 comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending straight bars 20 and generally transverse straight torsion bars 21. Each sinuous spring is formed to provide a seating portion S and fishrnouths F at each end thereof.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rails 16, 17 are of identical construction and include an upwardly struck portion 22. Each free end of the sinuous spring element 18 is formed with a generally horizontal loop 23 that is inserted laterally through the upwardly struck portion 22 so that the portions of the loop 23 that extend beyond the upwardly struck portion 22 engage the upper surface 24 of the rail 16. The cross tie 19 is made of wire and includes at each end a downwardly bent portion 25 which is inserted through an opening 26 in the upwardly struck portion 22 of the rail and a laterally extending free end 27 that extends between the bars 28, 29 of the loop 23. In this manner, the end of the sinuous element 1S is locked on the rail. As further shown in FIG. 6, the rail 16 includes clearance slots 3i), 31 which facilitate assembly.

The rails 16, 17 are made of sheet metal and include a horizontal wall 32 that engages the upper surface of the respective front or rear frame member as for example the member 11 in FIG. 5 and a vertical flange or wall 33 that engages the front surface of the frame member. Each rail is also formed with closely spaced openings 34 through which staples 3S (FIGS. 4 and 5) can be inserted to x the rails on the frame member. Finally, each rail is formed with openings 36 which are used on the rear rail to mount the spring assembly on the rear frame member 12 as more specically shown in FiG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, generally V-shaped brackets 37 have their ends bent downwardly engaging and fixed by nails 38 to the top and side surfaces of the rear frame member 12. Each bracket 37 is made of sheet metal and includes longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs 39. As more specifically shown in FlGS. 7 and 8, one end 37a is bent downwardly'along the rear surface of frame member 12 while the other end 37b is bent downwardly along the front surface of rear frame member 12. A coil spring 4i) has one end thereof connected to `the opening 36 of the rear rail 17 and the other end thereof extending through opening 4i at the apex of the bracket 39 to mount the spring assembly on the frame 10.

By varying the size of the brackets 37 and the length of the springs 40, the same spring assembly 13 can be accommodated to furniture frames of dir-ferent front to rear dimensions to provide varying spring support. It may be noted as shown in FIG. l that the springs 40 and brackets 37 are generally positioned behind the back B of the furniture and therefore are not in any horizontal portion upon which a person is seated.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cross tie 19 includes a central depressed portion 19a which is connected by vertically offset portions 19b with the end portions 19C.

Each spring assembly includes a attened border wire 42 that Vis connected to the sinuous spring element by clips 43 in accordance with conventional practice. Where a plurality of spring assemblies are used as in FIG. 9, additional attened wire elements 43 are provided along the front of the seat between adjacent spring assemblies to provide a continuous edge and thereby provide a uniform appearance and generally uniform action. This is in accordance with conventional practice of interconnecting adjacent spring elements along the front edge of spring assemblies.

In order to provide the effect of a sofa or davenport on the endmost assemblies, an additional U-shaped wire element 44 (FIG. 3) may be provided on the free ends of the assemblies. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower leg of the shmouth F at each end of the sinuous spring element 18 has its cross member 45 in contact with the cross tie 19. This provides an additional support for the platform formed by the seating portion S.

We claim:

1. In a seat construction, the combination comprising a frame,

said frame having a front member and a rear member spaced horizontally from the front member,

at least one spring assembly comprising a front rail,

a rear rail,

a plurality of sinuous spring elements extending between said front and rear rails,

each said spring element having a seating portion and a iishmouth configuration at each end thereof,

the free end of each spring element being fastened to its respective front and rear rails,

a wire interconnecting member extending between said front and rear rails of said spring assembly and connected to said front and rear rails,

and means for supporting said spring assembly on said rear rail comprising a plurality of brackets on said rear rail,

and tension springs extending between said brackets and said rear rail of said spring assembly.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said sinuous spring element comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending straight bars connected .by generally transverse straight torsion bars.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said front and rear rail comprises an upwardly struck portion,

the free end of each said spring element having a loop therein extending beneath said upwardly struck portion,

said upwardly struck portion having an opening therethrough,

the free end of each said wire cross tie extending downwardly through said opening and transversely bei tween the parallel bars of the loop of said spring element. f

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said front and rear rail is of substantially identical construction.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said front and rear rail has a horizontal portion adapted to engage a complementary surface on the respective front and rear frame member and a vertical surface adapted to engage a complementary surface on the respective front and rear frame member.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and rear rails are made of sheet metal and have openings therein.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said rear rail has openings therein into which the ends of said tension spring extend.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring assembly includes a border wire of flattened cross section interconnecting the sinuous spring elements.

9. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said tension springs comprise coil springs.

10. For use in a seat construction comprising a frame,

said frame having a front member and a rear member spaced horizontally from the front rail,

a spring assembly comprising a front rail,

a rear rail,

a plurality of sinuous spring elements extending between said front and rear rails,

each said spring element having a seating portion and a fishmouth configuration at each end thereof,

a wire interconnecting member extending between said front and rear rails of said spring assembly beneath the seating portion of each spring assembly and connected to said front and rear rails,

each said front and rear rail comprising an upwardly struck portion,

.the free end of each said spring element having a loop therein extending beneath said upwardly struck portion,

said upwardly struck portion having an opening therethrough,

the free end of each said wire cross tie extending downwardly through said opening and transversely between the parallel bars of the loop of said spring element,

and tension springs extending between said brackets and said rear rail of said spring assembly.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein each said sinuous spring element comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending straight bars connected by generally transverse straight torsion bars.

12. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein each said front and rear rail has a horizontal portion adapted to engage a complementary surface on the respective front and rear rail and a vertical surface adapted to engage a complementary surface on the respective front and rear rail.

13. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein` said front and rear members are made of sheet metal and have openings therein.

14. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein said rear rail has openings therein into which the ends of a tension spring may extend. v

15. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein said lishmouth portions have parts thereof engaging said wire interconnecting member.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. 

